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Monday Locker Room Chat: Joel Ward Talks to the Media

By: John Walton,February 4, 2013

Thanks to Ben Raby (@BenRaby31 on Twitter) for transcribing locker room audio today, as the Capitals prepare for Tuesday's home game against Toronto. There was much happiness at Joel Ward's stall today, as was expected given his affinity for the Baltimore Ravens. Read what Joel had to say about Baltimore's Super Bowl victory, and more:

WARD ON SUPER BOWL SHIN-DIG:

"It was a good little team bonding at Mike Ribeiro’s place. I literally sat in the same seat for the whole game, so it was good, and even with the power outage I still didn’t move. But I knew that there was going to be a 49ers wave coming on and I was just hoping that the guys would bare with it, but you can tell, it was too good to be true for the score to have stayed like that [blowout] all game. But it was good."

WORRIED AT ALL TOWARD THE END?

"Worried? I was more into it I guess- worried, I don’t know. But I figured that they needed a stop or at least needed to put up a field goal- they were outscored 17-0 at one point after the power outage- so I was just hoping for a turnover or at least a field goal or some type of points to go on the board. It was a good game. It was a good game that came right down to the end and I think there was the fact that a lot of guys wanted to see me lose because I was decked out in my Ravens gear up head to toe."

WHAT DOES THAT CONSIST OF?

"I had my Ray Lewis [jersey] on with a hat and a scarf. I kind of have some winter gloves and a touque but I didn’t wear that during the game. I’m kind of a big groupie fan.

"I was a big Ray Lewis fan for a long time- for years, for many years. I took a liking to their style, I was more of a defensive forward and I kind of just took a liking to their style and how they played defense back in the day and just the guys they’ve had like Ed Reed and Ray and [Terrell] Suggs.

"Then I was fortunate to have my trainer in Nashville hook me up with some merchandise and t-shirts and stuff because he was good friends with the [Ravens] trainer. So I’ve been a pretty big fan. Then it just so happens that I end up coming here to the Caps and I’ve been fortunate to get close to [the team] and see quite a few games, and meet some of the guys, so it’s been good."

EVER CONSIDER GOING WITH THE WAY RAY LEWIS FACE PAINT?

"No no no. I think the guys think I’m really obsessed already so coming in with face paint is just another way that [Chimera] can say something to me and make fun of me in some sort of way."

CAN YOU TAKE ANYTHING FROM RAY LEWIS AND PUT IT TOWARD YOUR GAME?

"One thing that’s tough to do is to be a leader- to go out of your way and to lead a team is very tough to do I think. That’s the part that I really admire the most, how one individual can inspire a whole group and a whole locker room like that. You definitely have to dig deep within yourself and sometimes you may have to say things to your teammates that may not be the nicest things to get them going and it’s definitely a tough quality to do.

"I definitely try to do my share and leader, I’m not as vocal, I guess you can say as Ray Lewis but I just try to show it through work ethic and I think that’s part of his strategy too the way he goes out there and plays. And even though people think he’s old- I don’t think so- to see what he can still do at his age and play the game football is pretty inspirational and for the other guys like Ed Reed and those guys to be out there playing football every day like that is pretty big stuff."

HOCKEY: ADAM SAID YOU GUYS PLAYED WELL… WAS THAT THE MESSAGE TODAY?

"Yeah, I didn’t think the score was [reflective] of the game’s outcome. I thought we did well five-on-five. I didn’t think that they had too many chances. I think it was more the timing of their goals that was really hurtful. We’d get back in it and they’d come back and score again off small little mistake of ours. So the timing of it yesterday was definitely tough to swallow and they capitalized on their chances and that’s what good teams do.

"I think for us, we need to stay with it, stay within the game plan and give ourselves a chance to at least be on that side of it scoring timely goals and that’s what you need to win these games."

DIFFICULT TO ‘FORGET ABOUT THE SCORE’ AND LOOK AT THE POSITIVES?

"It is. For myself, I was on for two [goals against] which I wasn’t too happy about it, you never like to be scored on when you’re out there on the ice, that’s something you take pride in. So that was definitely tough, it was 6-3, so that’s something that we just have to put behind us, we have no choice but to, we have games coming up and the good thing is that we get to play them again soon."

HOW CAN PP BE A BENEFIT EVEN IF NOT SCORING?

"It obviously creates momentum, and if you’re not scoring on it at least you try to create momentum. Hopefully you are getting a couple [of power play goals] and they definitely can be game-changers if you’re scoring on the power play. We just have to work hard at it and I think that retrieving second pucks is key- establish the first shot early and obviously if the goalie makes a save or kicks it to the corner, we have to retrieve those second pucks and I think that just comes with hard work and getting after it."